Acetylene-gas generator.



C. W. & W. E. NUSS.

AGETYLBNE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APB..1, 1912.

1,057,? 65. Pa ented Apr. 1,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. & W. E. NUSS.

AOETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1I 1912.

1,057,765. Patented Apr .1,1913.

' g9 gm W; 1 1:1111;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. NUSS AND WILLIS E'. NUSS, OI CARROLL'I'ON, MISSOURI.

AGETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1912.

' Patented Apr. 1, 1913. Serial No. 687,848.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES W. Nose and lrVILLrs E. N USS, citizens of the United States, residing at Carrollton, in the county of Carroll and State of Missouri, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene gasgenerators and our object is to reduce an efiicient generator of simple, dura lo and inexpensive construction.

WVit-h this general object in view and others as hereinafter appear, the invention.

consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter" described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1, is a view partly in central vertical section and partly in side elevation of a generator embodying my invention. Fi

2, is an enlarged section on the line II I of the valve or C11l3-01f mechanism for the .hopper.

Fig. 7, is an enlarged section on the dotted line VII of Fig. 2.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates a water tank adapted as usual in this class of apparatus to'be buried in the ground, this tank being preferably in the form of a cylinder, and projecting from one end of the cylinder at its lowest point is a pipe 2. If this pipe is used for drainage purposes, it will be equipped with a valve 3 engaged by a key 4, projecting above the surface of the ground and provided with a handle 5 by which it may be conveniently turned, and the key" 4 will be inclosed in a sleeve 6, whereby. it will be prevented from freezing in the ground. If desired the pipe 2 may constitute a connection between the cylinder and a pump, not shown, whereby the liquid contents of the tank may be pumped there-- from.

7 indicates a vertical cylinder rising from and communicatingwith the tank, and 8 a larger cylinder ;arranged concentrically around cylinder 7 and extending from the tank to the top of the ground, the space or I being adapted to be charged with water contaming an anti-freezing mixture, and said cylinder 8 is provided with a removable cover 10.

11 indicates an inverted tank constituting a gas bell, this gas bell fitting over cylinder 7 and depending into the water in chamber 9, which water thus forms the customary seal for guarding against the escape of gas from the bell.

12 is a gas filter mounted upon tank 1 at one side of cylinder 8 and 13 a pipe extending upwardly therefrom and provided above the level'of the ground with a cock 14. Near the top of the filter, pipe 13 is provided with a T-coupling 15 from which leads a service pipe 16, for supplying gas to light fixtures, notshown. The service pipe is equipped with a cock 17 having a chamber 9 between the cylinders 7 and 8 stem 18, extending above the ground and equipped at its upper end with a handle 19.

20 is a hood covering the cock 14 and handle 19 to protect the same without com.- pletely isolating the outside air therefrom,

and 21 is a casing enveloping pipe 13 and stem 18, from the upper end of the filter to the ground line, the part 22 of the casing being preferably made heavy to constitute a guide and support for the upper ends of said pipe and stem. This casing is provided to protect the inclosed parts 0m contact with the earth which is tamped around the same and tank 1, cylinder 8 and easing 6 after said parts are secured in operative position in the ground. I

23 is a carbid hopper of any desired capacity, suspended in any suitable manner in cylinder 7, the hopper being shown as provided with an outwardly-projecting flange 24 at its upper end resting on the upper end i of. the cylinder, and covering the upper end I of said cylinder and said hopper is aremovable cap 25. At a suitable point this cap is provided with an opening 26, the opening being formed by punching the material upward so as to provide a wall 27, whereby water produced by condensation in the bell, is prevented from draining from said cap into the carbid in the hopper.

- 28 is a tube extending through the hopper and secured at its upper end in the tapered portion 27 as shown clearly in F 7, this.

tube extending down through the charge of carbid, and extending loosely through said t .the partition pr i t tube is a rod 29, for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

and discharge it into the underlying tank 1- instead of permitting itto work its way through opening '32 into the shoe where it will come lnco-ntact with the carbid therein.

, 34 is a partition in the shoe above open ing 32 which slopes downwardly and in-.- wardly from the wall containin said opening and the side wall nearest sai opening so as to provide a throat 35,f0r directing the carbid into the bottom of the shoe at one side of said opening instead of directly opposite the said openm the downward slope of urther serving to guard against the lower part of the shoe being completely filled, which would of course resultin the carbid packing more or less opposite opening 32, and in this connection it is desired to state that thepartition 34 will probably be of sheet metal and vary in size so that the same shoe can be used in connection with hoppers of different capacity,

that is to say, by varying the size of the par: tition the throat 35 is made larger or smaller and hence acts to control the quantity of carbid which accumulates in the bottom of the shoe. The upper side or end of the opening 32 carries a shearin blade 36, (omitted in 6 and inwar of} said blade the opening 1s formed with an extension or slot 37 p 38 is a disk valve flitting flatly againstthe periphery of the grooved flange 33,, and secured rigidly on one end ofa shaft 39, ex-

J tending mto'or through the lower part of the hopper centrally thereof, and said shaft bears a journaled relation to the. hopper and is equipped with a carbid agitator or stirrer 40. The valve is provided with an opening 41, ada ted when the valve is open,

to register wi opening 32, and with a weighted arm 42 for normally holding the valve in closed position, as shown most clearly 'in Figs? and 4, and to limit the closing movement of the valve under the gravitative action of arm 42, a finger 43 projects through opening 32 in the shoe and is adapt ed to enter slot 37 and engage the closed end of the same. Outward of the stop finger V 43 a shearing blade 44 is secured to the inner side of the valve at the lower end of the opening thereof, and is adapted as the valve closes, to shear past the lower edge of:

been turne eer zen shearing blade 36 and slightly overlap and fit flatly against said blade when the valve is completely closed. The valve is provided with a peripheral flange 4 5 and fitting upon the same and secured at one end thereto is a flexible metal strap 46 which is tion andhas therefore de ress'ed rod 29 and through the connection 0 the same with the strap 46 has opened the valve, and that in such openin movement, the agitator 40 has to loosen-if, necessary-the carbid in the lower part of the shoe in order that part of the same may fall through the registering openings 32 and 41 of the shoe and valve respectively, and fall into the water with which tank 1 is charged. As

this occurs the generation of gas begins and it passes up throughutube 28 into the upper part of the holder or bell" and raises the same, the valve at the same time through the force of gravity, closing and sliding the rod 29 upward through the guide or tube 28.

Under pressure of the bell the gas will pass to the burners through-the service pipe and as it is consumed the bellwill descend until it again opens the valve by iinpartin .downward movement to the rod 29 an efiects the disposition of a second charge of carbid into the tank, and in this connection it will be noticed that upon each closing as well as upon each opening action of the valve, the carbid in the lowerpalfl pf the shoe is stirred or agitated. 1

The operations described are repeated until the entire charge ofcarbid in the hopper is exhausted. The operator then closes the gas coclr17by the o eration of handle l9,-re m0ves cover 10 an opens air cock 14, The gas bell may then be removed to permit cap 25 and the hopper to be re moved and cleaned if necessary. At this time it'is'also well to stir the water in the purpose. The bell will descend immediately through force of gravityand start the generation of gas by eflecting the opening of the valve, the cook 14 being reclosed and the burners also if it is not desired to use the same at the time.

By providing the upper end of the shoe iis opening 32 with the=shearingblade and the lower end of the opening 41 of the valve- .with a similar blade, provision is made for particles will soften in' a very short time through the moisturein theisurrounding gas and as 'theysoften they will be severed cleanly andthe valve will complete its closing operation. -Without provision for this shearing action the valve wouldbeapt toremain 0 en for an undesirable of time and ence expose part of the carbld in the lower end of the shoe to contact with the moisture contained in the as, under-which exposure part of the car id would jdeteriorate. v f

From the above description it will be apparent that we haveproduced an acetylene gas generator embody ng the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention and we wish it to be understood that while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention we do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction shown and described as obvious modifications will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In an acetylene gas generator, a water tank, a cylinder superposed thereon and communicating therewith, a cylinder surrounding the first-named cylinder and closed at its bottom to provide a liquid seal chamber surrounding the first-named cylinder, a gas bell around the first-named chamber and depending into said liquid seal, a hopper depending into said first-named cylinder, an upright tube extending through-the hopper,

a cover for the first-named cylinder andhopr I per, provided with an opening receiving-the upper end of said tube, the covering being:

punched upwardly around and adjacentto the tube, a shoe depending from and communicating with the hopper and provided with a discharge opening, a circular valve pivoted to the shoe and provided with an opening, yielding means tending to hold the valve with its opening out of register with the opening of the shoe to prevent discharge of carbid therefrom, an arcuate flange projecting from the circular valve, a flexible strap peripherally engaging said flange and secured at one end thereto, and a reciprocatory rod extending slidingly through said tube and attached atits lower end to said strap and normally held projected upwardly be- I yond the cover of the hopper and firstnamed cylinder when the valve is closed and adapted to be depressed by the gas bell when the same occupies its most depressed position to open'the valve to dispose its opening in register with the opening of'the shoe.

' 2. An acetylene gas generator, comprising a shoe having a sloping bottom,- and a discharge opening in the wall toward which said bottom s opes, a downwardly-sloping partition in the shoe above said opening" to discharge into the lower portion of the shoe at one side of the opening, a valve fittin against the Wall of the shoe rovided wi the opening and provided wit an opening,

and means for yieldingly holding the valve closed and the opening thereof out .of register with the opening of the shoe.

3. In an acetylen'e'gas generator, a shoe having a ;sloping -bottom, and a discharge opening in the wall'toward which said bottom slopes, a downwardly-sloping partition .in theshoe above said opening' to discharge a into the lower portion of-the shoe at one side of the opening, a valve fitting against the wall of the shoe provided with the open ing and provided with an opening, means for yieldingly holding the valve closed and the opening thereof out of registerwith the opening of the shoe, a flexible strap secured peri herally the valve, and means connected to the strap for rotating the valve llilllllll its opening registers with-that ofthe s oe.

' 4. In an acetylene" gas generator, a shoe having a sloping bottom, and a discharge opening in the wall toward which said bottom slopes, a downwardly-sloping artition in'the shoe above said opening to ischarge into the lower portion of the shoe at-one side of the opening, a valve fitting against the wall of theshoe provided'with the opening and provided with an opening, means. for yieldingly holding the valve closed and the opening thereof out of register with the opening of the'shoe, a flexiblestrap secured peripherally. to the valve, means connected to the strap for rotating the valve until its opening registers with that of the shoe, and

an agitator rotatable with the valve and arranged within the shoe to agitate or stir the carbid therein.

5. In an acetylene gasgenerator, a shoe having a sloping bottom and a discharge opening in thewall towardwhich the bottom slopes, a downwardly-sloping artition in the shoe above said opening to discharge into the lower portion ofthe shoe at one side of the opening, a valve fitting against the wall of theshoe provided with theopening and provided with an opening, means 7 for yieldingly holding the valve closed and the opening thereof out of register with the opening. of the shoe, and an agitator within the shoe and rotatable with the valve for agitating the carbid in the lower part of the shoe.

having a sloping bottom and a discharge opening in the wall toward which the bottom slopes, a downwardly-sloping partition in the shoe above said opening to discharge into the lower portion of the shoe at one side of the opening, a valve fittingiagainst the wall of the shoe provided with the opening and provided with an opening, means for yieldingly holding the valve closed and the opening thereof out of register with the opening of the shoe, a shearing blade secured to the wall of the shoe provided with the opening, and a cooperating blade secured to the valve and adapted as the latter closes to have a shearing action on the firstnamed blade.

7. A shoe having a downwardly-sloping bottom and an opening in the wall toward which said bottom slopes at one side of the center of the shoe, a partition within the shoe and sloping downwardly therein to provide a throat for discharging carbid onto the bottom of the shoe so that it shall mainly accumulate against the said wall thereof at the opposite side of its center from the opening in said wall, a circular valve bearing a journaled relation to and normally closing said opening and provided with an opening adapted to register with the opening of said Wall, means for rotating the valve to open position, a weighted arm for closing said valve, and a stop projecting from the valve into the shoe through the said opening thereof to limit the closing movement of the valve.

8. In an acetylene gas generator, a shoe having a downwardly-sloping bottom and an opening in the wall toward which said bottom slopes, and a circular peripherally grooved flange projecting outwardly from said wall and inclosing the said opening thereof, a shaft journaled in said wall concentrically of said flange, an agitator secured on the shaft within the shoe, a valve secured on the shaft and fitting flatly against said circular flange and provided with an opening, a weighted arm normally holding the valve with its opening out of register with the opening of said wall, and means for rotating said valve against the resistance of said arm to dispose the opening of the valve in register with the opening in the said shoe.

9. In an acetylene gas generator, a shoe having a downwardly-sloping bottom and an opening in the wall toward which said bottom slopes, and a circular peripherally grooved flange projecting outwardly from said well and inclosing the said opening thereof, a shaft journaled in said wall concentrically of said flange, an agitator secured on the shaft within the shoe, a valve secured on the shaft and fitting flatly against said circular flange and provided with an opening, a weighted arm normally holding the valve with its opening out of register with the opening of said wall, means for rotating said valve against the resistance of said arm to dispose the opening of the valve in register with the opening in the said shoe, a shearing blade rigid with the said wall at the upper end of the said opening thereof, and a shearing blade attached to the valve at the lower end of the opening thereof and adapted to have a shearing relation with the first-named blade as the Valve is closed.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. NUSS. WILLIS E. NUSS.

Witnesses:

ORAL B. FLAGG, DOLPH MAUPIN. 

